2021 Formula One Russian Grand Prix

Russian Grand Prix.jpg
Formula One is back in action this weekend for the Russian Grand Prix, with the drivers and constructors championships still very much in contention.

The epic drivers championship battle between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton continues this weekend in Russia. One of the tightest F1 points battles in memory ended in a collision last time out, with the Red Bull and Mercedes drivers colliding at Monza and ending the race for both.

Fan opinions were predictably mixed on who was at fault in the incident, but the stewards sided with Hamilton and handed Verstappen a 3-place grid penalty for the upcoming Russian Grand Prix in Sochi. This is a site the Mercedes could hold a slight advantage in versus Red Bull, so the three grid places could prove significant.

The Italian Grand Prix two weeks ago proved to be an exciting race on a number of fronts, and no one was more happy with the outcome than McLaren team and their supporters. Daniel Ricciardo silenced many of his critics who had accused him of being past his prime and claimed victory at Monza. He was joined on the podium by his teammate Lando Norris, who solidified the 1-2 finish for McLaren. Ricciardo also claimed the fastest lap late in the race, showing that the team had more speed in their car on tap if needed. This was a big statement for the team.

Valtteri Bottas is in his final season at Mercedes, but he’s performing well. He claimed the final podium spot in Italy behind the McLarens, and importantly for his current team he was two positions ahead of Sergio Perez. This has opened up the hotly contested constructors championship to an 18-point Mercedes lead.

The excellent constructors battle between McLaren and Ferrari this season has cooled slightly after the dominant McLaren outing at Monza. But, a strong showing from Ferrari at Sochi could take a significant chunk out of the 13.5-point advantage McLaren currently holds.

Near the back of the field, Nikita Mazepin will be looking to perform well to his home crowd, and has some good news to carry into this race with the recent announcement of the renewal of his Haas contract through 2022. He and teammate Mick Schumacher are the only two drivers who have yet to score a point this season, so don’t hold your breath for Mazepin to emulate Hamilton and Verstappen’s home win results this season.

Who do you think will take victory at Sochi this weekend? Will the 3-place grid penalty have a significant impact on the end result of the race? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Photo credits: Haas F1 Team
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Mike Smith
Mike Smith
I have been obsessed with sim racing and racing games since the 1980's. My first taste of live auto racing was in 1988, and I couldn't get enough ever since. Lead writer for RaceDepartment, and owner of SimRacing604 and its YouTube channel. Favourite sims include Assetto Corsa Competizione, Assetto Corsa, rFactor 2, Automobilista 2, DiRT Rally 2 - On Twitter as @simracing604

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Comments

T
Richard Wilks said:
Rosberg beat Hamilton in the same car. So did Button. Alonso drew even with the team against him. These are facts. You can try to spin them as much as you want, but they are forever set in stone, just like the numbers you like to bring up so much. And next year Russell might be the next teammate to beat Hamilton.
Click to expand...
Once out of three seasons isn't bad, I guess, for the two pretenders.
 
E
Damage Inc said:
Also another myth associated with Lewis is he built Merc into the winners they are (when it was the Hybrid rule change), doing single handedly in one year what Schumacher (along with Bryne, Brawn and Todt) took 4 or so years to do at Ferrari. LOL. If Lewis was THAT good a development driver why wasn't the McLaren improving under his genius?

There is NO doubt Lewis is an amazing driver arguably the best of his generation, but the Myths around how good he is rival the Greeks and Romans!!
Click to expand...
Maybe not, but it was a risk for him to go from Mclaren to Mercedes you have to give him credit for, people always tell the story like he switched to the winning team, what Mercedes was not back then.
 
ZuneGuy
Richard Wilks said:
I know it hurts but read what i posted again, straight from Dennis mouth. Mclaren CHOOSE not to meet his demands, they COULD, but they DIDN'T WANT.

As for Lauda and Hamilton, Lauda was an employee of mercedes, nothing more, nothing less. I am sure they had a relationship, but Lauda had many friends, and like i said before, he hired drivers for teams before, thats nothing new.
Click to expand...
Nothing hurts because you only said what you said. You didn't show me any proof by simply saying it. What I read from the facts says that they could not offer Lewis a better deal period. You haven't proven otherwise, and let's just say that they didn't want to pay him the same as Mercedes, who came out on top in the end - Lewis. He was never going to stay at McLaren anyway because he didn't want to stay, heck why would he.

Lewis Hamilton is the greatest F1 driver ever, says three-time champion and Mercedes supremo Niki Lauda​

www.dailymail.co.uk

Lewis Hamilton is the greatest F1 driver ever, says Niki Lauda

While Hamilton was busy posting a bawdy video of a Donald Trump doll and a dog, Lauda drew on nearly half a century’s experience in F1 to bestow the biggest accolade a champion can.
www.dailymail.co.uk www.dailymail.co.uk

It's obvious that Lauda and Hamilton were incredibly close friends. I mean who wouldn't want to be best friends with someone that you consider the greatest F1 driver of all time.
 
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Richard Wilks
ZuneGuy said:
Nothing hurts because you only said what you said. You didn't show me any proof by simply saying it. What I read from the facts says that they could not offer Lewis a better deal period. You haven't proven otherwise, and let's just say that they didn't want to pay him the same as Mercedes, who came out on top in the end - Lewis. He was never going to stay at McLaren anyway because he didn't want to stay, heck why would he.

Lewis Hamilton is the greatest F1 driver ever, says three-time champion and Mercedes supremo Niki Lauda​

www.dailymail.co.uk

Lewis Hamilton is the greatest F1 driver ever, says Niki Lauda

While Hamilton was busy posting a bawdy video of a Donald Trump doll and a dog, Lauda drew on nearly half a century’s experience in F1 to bestow the biggest accolade a champion can.
www.dailymail.co.uk www.dailymail.co.uk

It's obvious that Lauda and Hamilton were incredibly close friends. I mean who wouldn't want to be best friends with someone that you consider the greatest F1 driver of all time.
Click to expand...
Why would he?.... The Mclaren was a better car than the mercedes then, that's why. if he didnt want, he wouldnt have even entered negotiations with Mclaren, he was a free agent. He wanted more money, Withmarsh said no, so he went with Mercedes. Nobody could predict the advantage they would have in the hybrid era, so he clearly followed the money, because even if he knew the Mercedes team had a head start in the new regulations, nobody could have foreseen the level of dominance they would have. That he "came out on top" is irrelevant, he was the second choice at mercedes, and Mclaren didnt think he was so much better than Button to warrant a huge salary increase. Thats the facts.

Lauda says that, Wolff says that, Marko said that Vettel was the best ever then, now he says Max is the best thing since slice bread, they are all the best and the best of friends while they are winning, nothing new there. Hell, Lauda was always friends to whoever could line his wallet, and had many "friends" in his many years in the F1 circus :) But again, what does that matter, it's no proof or has no bearing in Hamilton's quality as a driver.
 
Terry Rock
Damage Inc said:
Strange how Lewis fans never say he only won in 2008 because of Ferrari "failures".
Click to expand...
World Driver Championships are won or lost as a team.
Ferrari's failures have nothing to do with an intrateam battle at McLaren....or any other team for that matter.
That is why nobody mentions them.
In a word....irrelevant.
Nobody cares if a competitor fails to finish.
That is not the basis of this argument.
Find a different ocean if you want to start 'fishing'.
 
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ZuneGuy
Richard Wilks said:
Why would he?.... The Mclaren was a better car than the mercedes then, that's why. if he didnt want, he wouldnt have even entered negotiations with Mclaren, he was a free agent. He wanted more money, Withmarsh said no, so he went with Mercedes. Nobody could predict the advantage they would have in the hybrid era, so he clearly followed the money, because even if he knew the Mercedes team had a head start in the new regulations, nobody could have foreseen the level of dominance they would have. That he "came out on top" is irrelevant, he was the second choice at mercedes, and Mclaren didnt think he was so much better than Button to warrant a huge salary increase. Thats the facts.

Lauda says that, Wolff says that, Marko said that Vettel was the best ever then, now he says Max is the best thing since slice bread, they are all the best and the best of friends while they are winning, nothing new there. Hell, Lauda was always friends to whoever could line his wallet, and had many "friends" in his many years in the F1 circus :) But again, what does that matter, it's no proof or has no bearing in Hamilton's quality as a driver.
Click to expand...
You sure do a lot of talking for and about people without showing one shred of proof. This is the problem that I have with you points of view. I read that McLaren could not offer more, which is what the article says exactly - you spin your version. I show you an article that says word for word that he was bored with McLaren, and that the team wanted him to stay word for word - you spin it that they didn't want him at all.

Sure you can say that Verstappen, or Vettel (I like Vettel a lot by the way) are the best, but only by opinion or preference, and that is and can be anyone's preference, but Lewis has the numbers, the records, and by all means the SKILL.

Back to this McLaren thing though. If McLaren didn't want him then why did they want him to stay. If they didn't want him then why open negotiations at all, why give updates to the press about the negotiations. Noting that you say holds water, or makes sense. I've shown you article after article and you have added nothing but opinions, these opinions are from a man on the outside looking in and you talk as though you were part of the negotiations.

If Lewis went where the money was than by all means he should have, and it paid off for him. That's what an athlete does, go where he can earn money, and win.

I'm sorry but I can't take your word for anything. You say that "I know it hurts", how does it hurt me because I support the brother, and he has 7 titles, more records than any driver - living or dead. How am I hurt when he's the only man that looks like he does in the history of the sport, the first and only one, and has done all of this. He has earned more than anyone else in the sport. My man the last thing that I am is hurt. His success in this sport makes me feel pride for this unique, top level athlete.

There's no hurt my man...
 
muzikant
ZuneGuy said:
You sure do a lot of talking for and about people without showing one shred of proof. This is the problem that I have with you points of view. I read that McLaren could not offer more, which is what the article says exactly - you spin your version. I show you an article that says word for word that he was bored with McLaren, and that the team wanted him to stay word for word - you spin it that they didn't want him at all.

Sure you can say that Verstappen, or Vettel (I like Vettel a lot by the way) are the best, but only by opinion or preference, and that is and can be anyone's preference, but Lewis has the numbers, the records, and by all means the SKILL.

Back to this McLaren thing though. If McLaren didn't want him then why did they want him to stay. If they didn't want him then why open negotiations at all, why give updates to the press about the negotiations. Noting that you say holds water, or makes sense. I've shown you article after article and you have added nothing but opinions, these opinions are from a man on the outside looking in and you talk as though you were part of the negotiations.

If Lewis went where the money was than by all means he should have, and it paid off for him. That's what an athlete does, go where he can earn money, and win.

I'm sorry but I can't take your word for anything. You say that "I know it hurts", how does it hurt me because I support the brother, and he has 7 titles, more records than any driver - living or dead. How am I hurt when he's the only man that looks like he does in the history of the sport, the first and only one, and has done all of this. He has earned more than anyone else in the sport. My man the last thing that I am is hurt. His success in this sport makes me feel pride for this unique, top level athlete.

There's no hurt my man...
Click to expand...
You should thank the FIA (for 6 years of not changing the engine rules that has brought the Sir all the world titles. Fortunately this year is a bit fairer and everyone is a little closer together which makes racing more fun.
 
Appie Kuipers
ZuneGuy said:
You sure do a lot of talking for and about people without showing one shred of proof. This is the problem that I have with you points of view. I read that McLaren could not offer more, which is what the article says exactly - you spin your version. I show you an article that says word for word that he was bored with McLaren, and that the team wanted him to stay word for word - you spin it that they didn't want him at all.

Sure you can say that Verstappen, or Vettel (I like Vettel a lot by the way) are the best, but only by opinion or preference, and that is and can be anyone's preference, but Lewis has the numbers, the records, and by all means the SKILL.

Back to this McLaren thing though. If McLaren didn't want him then why did they want him to stay. If they didn't want him then why open negotiations at all, why give updates to the press about the negotiations. Noting that you say holds water, or makes sense. I've shown you article after article and you have added nothing but opinions, these opinions are from a man on the outside looking in and you talk as though you were part of the negotiations.

If Lewis went where the money was than by all means he should have, and it paid off for him. That's what an athlete does, go where he can earn money, and win.

I'm sorry but I can't take your word for anything. You say that "I know it hurts", how does it hurt me because I support the brother, and he has 7 titles, more records than any driver - living or dead. How am I hurt when he's the only man that looks like he does in the history of the sport, the first and only one, and has done all of this. He has earned more than anyone else in the sport. My man the last thing that I am is hurt. His success in this sport makes me feel pride for this unique, top level athlete.

There's no hurt my man...
Click to expand...
Sure Lewis has the records, amazing driver, but why compere with Max, he is only 23, has 12years to go looking at Lewis, nonsens to compere.
come back when he is 34/35.
 
Richard Wilks
ZuneGuy said:
You sure do a lot of talking for and about people without showing one shred of proof. This is the problem that I have with you points of view. I read that McLaren could not offer more, which is what the article says exactly - you spin your version. I show you an article that says word for word that he was bored with McLaren, and that the team wanted him to stay word for word - you spin it that they didn't want him at all.

Sure you can say that Verstappen, or Vettel (I like Vettel a lot by the way) are the best, but only by opinion or preference, and that is and can be anyone's preference, but Lewis has the numbers, the records, and by all means the SKILL.

Back to this McLaren thing though. If McLaren didn't want him then why did they want him to stay. If they didn't want him then why open negotiations at all, why give updates to the press about the negotiations. Noting that you say holds water, or makes sense. I've shown you article after article and you have added nothing but opinions, these opinions are from a man on the outside looking in and you talk as though you were part of the negotiations.

If Lewis went where the money was than by all means he should have, and it paid off for him. That's what an athlete does, go where he can earn money, and win.

I'm sorry but I can't take your word for anything. You say that "I know it hurts", how does it hurt me because I support the brother, and he has 7 titles, more records than any driver - living or dead. How am I hurt when he's the only man that looks like he does in the history of the sport, the first and only one, and has done all of this. He has earned more than anyone else in the sport. My man the last thing that I am is hurt. His success in this sport makes me feel pride for this unique, top level athlete.

There's no hurt my man...
Click to expand...
You are the one spinning, trying to fit your narrative into your fantasy world :)

Its very clear what they say. Lewis didnt use the word "bored" anywhere. HE was losing to his teammate more often than he wished, he saw that the team wasnt "his" anymore, he wanted to twist them to pay him more based on nothing honestly, because his results compared with Button didn't justify it. Thats what Dennis say, thats what history says :)

Nice to see you admit finally that he followed the money. That he lucked out is a mere coincidence, but i think we can all agree that Lewis has had a priviliged and lucky career, ever since being picked up by Dennis. Not without merit of course.

Don't worry, it will hurt less in a while. Soon he will be retired, he is desperately trying to beat Schumacher's title tally, so he can retire as the "goat" in his mind, we all know thats all he cares about (and yes i am assuming here), no matter how many times he tries to say no, his actions show it, his contract extension as his behaviour on track this year prove it. If he does it, maybe he even does a Rosberg and retires at the end of this year. If not, i am very much looking forward to see him against yet another champ material driver in the same car, before he retires, and becomes "one of the greats" like many others before him. There is no "king" of F1, not even Schumacher got that title.

That you feel pride in achievements of someone you never met is a personal thing for you, that doesnt entitle you to rewrite history, nor it changes anything Hamilton did or didn't do in the eyes of the rest of us. No matter how that hurts you, or the perfect image you want to create in your head of your "hero".
 
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Damage Inc
eco2006 said:
Maybe not, but it was a risk for him to go from Mclaren to Mercedes you have to give him credit for, people always tell the story like he switched to the winning team, what Mercedes was not back then.
Click to expand...
Merc had been developing a hybrid system for a few years by that point, I'm pretty certain that was used as a lure. Lewis took a calculated risk. But if that Engine regulations change had not happened we'd be here with loads moaning about Vettel winning everything and Lewis sat on one WDC.
 
Damage Inc
Terry Rock said:
World Driver Championships are won or lost as a team.
Ferrari's failures have nothing to do with an intrateam battle at McLaren....or any other team for that matter.
That is why nobody mentions them.
In a word....irrelevant.
Nobody cares if a competitor fails to finish.
That is not the basis of this argument.
Find a different ocean if you want to start 'fishing'.
Click to expand...
Ok so it only counts if the drivers are in the same team? Convenient.
 
zwiss
EVEN if you want MAX to win the championship... (like me!!)..
Is it really that hard to admit that Hamilton is the most successful (and maybe the best) F1 driver ever?
100 victories, 7 titles.
Some drivers in the past were WC by luck:
Keke Rosberg because Gilles and Didier threw it away...
Phil Hill because Von Trips got killed... etc
But you do NOT win 7 championships by luck or by cheating.
And Mercedes would NOT keep him if he weren't (one of) the best.

Just look at it this way: if MAX becomes champion, he did it because he defeated the most successful driver ever in F1. And THAT is quite a BIG thing ;)
Go Max !
 
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PickABetterUsername01
zwiss said:
Is it really that hard to admit that Hamilton is the most successful (and maybe the best) F1 driver ever?
100 victories, 7 titles.
Click to expand...
You are only as good as those you competed against. During merc years, Hamilton had nobody else with a good enough car, not even close. As I said earlier, numbers are just numbers, Senna is not treated the way he is because of numbers or Gilles Villeneuve or Stirling Moss. But with Hamilton it's always the same crap, X number of victories, Y numbers of world titles. Who cares seriously, a lot of people doesn't give a **** because they know how the merc years were.
 
D
Damage Inc said:
LOL you can't pick and choose when fortune or misfortune counts or does not count!!
Click to expand...
I would say, based soley on memory, that Ferrari had two legitimate chances to win World Titles from the Alonso Age thru today. Alonso got bottled up when the team responded to the wrong Red Bull...in Korea(??) And Vettel had a clear shot several years ago but his driver errors coupled with team mistakes sank his chances. So that leaves us with Nico Rosberg. In equal cars they qualified incredibly close for most of the time they shared, but Lewis had a definite win advantage over Nico. Most of Vettel's driving errors came due to the pressure Mercedes equipment coupled with Lewis's ability forcing Vettel into multiple driving errors. (just for grins, why can't Seb hold an inside line without spinning???)
Seb's only real errors during his 4 year run came when Ricardo(same car) began to equalize results.(The two drivers taking each other out at the end of that long straight..lol...can't remember...
I wonder if Alonso's salary was the beginning of Mclaren's decline...did he take too big a bite out of the team's budget. Then add Hamilton's price pressure and we saw how far down the Mc:Laren group fell.
 
zwiss
PickABetterUsername01 said:
You are only as good as those you competed against. During merc years, Hamilton had nobody else with a good enough car, not even close. As I said earlier, numbers are just numbers, Senna is not treated the way he is because of numbers or Gilles Villeneuve or Stirling Moss. But with Hamilton it's always the same crap, X number of victories, Y numbers of world titles. Who cares seriously, a lot of people doesn't give a **** because they know how the merc years were.
Click to expand...

If Max wins a few championships, there will also be morons like you to say he had no opposition, always had the best car, was a cheater etc..
It's the same bullshit all the time.
I guess the world needs imbeciles too.
I rest my case.
 
PickABetterUsername01
zwiss said:
If Max wins a few championships, there will also be morons like you to say he had no opposition, always had the best car, was a cheater etc..
It's the same bullshit all the time.
I guess the world needs imbeciles too.
I rest my case.
Click to expand...
Imbecile is the one that thinks Hamilton had opposition during his merc years. Anything to validate those izi merc years am I right?

The previous years, people saying Bottas was a contender for world championship, that was a good joke!

You never had a case tho.
 
zwiss
PickABetterUsername01 said:
Imbecile is the one that thinks Hamilton had opposition during his merc years. Anything to validate those izi merc years am I right?

The previous years, people saying Bottas was a contender for world championship, that was a good joke!

You never had a case tho.
Click to expand...
Jim Clark would have won EVERY race with a lap in advance if his Lotus 49 hadn't been so unreliable.
Does this make Clark a mediocre driver? Just because he had the best car? No it doesn't. He was a genius.
Mercedes made the best car and had the money to get the best driver around.
And guess who that is?
Cut the crap dude.

PS: you don't have to like Hamilton... I am no fan either. But stop the bullshit.
It's like the f*kin kindergarten out here.
 
PickABetterUsername01
zwiss said:
Jim Clark would have won EVERY race with a lap in advance if his Lotus 49 hadn't been so unreliable.
Does this make Clark a mediocre driver? Just because he had the best car? No it doesn't. He was a genius.
Mercedes made the best car and had the money to get the best driver around.
And guess who that is?
Cut the crap dude.

PS: you don't have to like Hamilton... I am no fan either. But stop the bullshit.
It's like the f*kin kindergarten out here.
Click to expand...
Well you just answered it yourself, Mercedes made Hamilton. Hamilton was never this big thing until he got a car 1s faster than everyone else, what a coincidence.

Oh yes he beat Massa in 2008, what an achievement...
 

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